26 Cubans Repatriated from Ecuador

HAVANA TIMES — Ecuadorian authorities on Monday repatriated 26 Cubans who arrived at the International Airport in Quito without a letter of invitation, reported the Café Fuerte website.

“The refusal to allow them to entry our country was bitterly contested by Cuban citizens.Some of them chastised the Ecuadorian authorities with insults, shouting and falling onto the ground,” read a statement from the Ministry of the Interior of that Andean nation.

For their part, the Cubans argued that they had taken the flight before the current requirement of the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry of a letter of invitation took effect, which came into force that same day.

What's your opinion?

Luis

Even tough this is illogical – specially coming from an ALBA ally – the haters will soon travel all the way to the moon to blame an Ecuadorian decision on the ‘evil Castros’.

Moses Patterson

Not this time sport. This time the blame is completely with Ecuador. (Although I have heard that there was no mention of the need to have a legalized letter of invitation to any of the Cuban passengers before boarding the plane by airline or Cuban immigration personnel.) Cubans in Ecuador have not blended well into the Quito community. They largely stay to themselves and have not established the people to people relationships with Ecuadorans that would help their cause in situations like this. Much the same is said of the Cuban community in Miami. However, because of the millions of Cubans in Miami, literally controlling the greater Miami-Dade metropolitan area, the need to assimilate with the larger community is lessened. Reflective of their third world status, Cuban travelers will likely confront increased hurdles to receiving visas from many of their so-called “brother” countries.

Gentlemen, why we do not blame the United States of America, because of the job they are doing, pressing others of its allies countries, like Spain, so they do not give visas to any Cubans, something that it is happening with the SINA, in Havana, since 1959, or the Cuba citizen do not remember the several crisis created by the USA Government, they denial to accept and fulfill the immigration agreement between Cuba and USA, please activate the memories of those Cuban citizen who got hysterical in Quito Airiport.

So if the Cuban wants to travel as before they did, even with the old regulations, they always need a visa to get to any country in the world. The Decision of the Ecuador Government is one that nobody can criticize, or blame, or get hysterical, every country in the world, have their rules that they consider necessary and legal to protect their country.

Yet Ecuador seems to welcome with open arms many middle-class (North)American retirees! I am constantly bombarded with reports of “Paradise Found” from the rag “International Living.” Guess these Cubans need to arrive with enough Euros or Dollars; then they, too, would be welcomed. Without a visa, accompanied by some sort of guarantee that they will not become wards of the state, they won’t receive a warm welcome in any 1st World country, either–save the United States (but only if they manage to get one DRY foot on the “Land of the ((not so)) Free”) !

Moses Patterson

Let’s be honest, no country wants boatloads of poor people descending upon their shores. Worse yet, Cubans do not wish to assume the lowest rungs of the economic ladder like other poor immigrants. Guatemalans and Nicaraguans willingly work as housekeepers, gardeners, street cleaners, etc. Cubans choose to buy clothes in Ecuador for resale in Cuba or in a handful of ‘clean’ service-related jobs like dress shops or tourists destinations. There is a remarkably high degree of arrogance among the Cuban immigrant community considering their economic status upon arrival. A large number of Cubans make it very clear to their Ecuadoran hosts that they have no intent on staying in Ecuador to make a life for themselves. Their goal is to stay only long enough to earn enough money to pay for passage to the US border to take advantage of a favorable immigration law not available to Ecuadorans. This attitude certainly does not endear Cubans to their hosts.